Life Changes in London
by smilesugar
Summary: Melissa is a party girl, living in the USA. Unfortunately, her parents hate her lifestyle and ship her off to a private school in England! While in England, she meets Liam Payne; from One Direction, and her whole world changes! Rate and review lovelies 3
1. Chapter 1

Chapter1:

"Melissa, your father and I have been thinking…"

_Uh oh… _

"All this partying and drinking is getting out of hand, and grounding you hasn't done anything to make you stop…"

_I'm going to military school…_

"So we're sending you to London, far away from all these terrible influences."

_WHAT!_

"But your dad and I can't come with you, until we find jobs in England, so until then, you'll be there alone…"

_And suddenly, London sounds lovely!_

"So you're going to a private school." my mom finished, taking a deep breath, as if to brace herself for my reaction.

"I'll go to London. But, there is no way, I'm going to some rich kid school, being watched by some uptight bitch!"

"WATCH YOUR MOUTH MELISSA! WE'RE DOING THIS FOR YOU! ALL THIS PARTYING, DRINKING AND WHATEVER ELSE NEEDS TO STOP!"

"SO YOU'RE SENDING ME TO ANOTHER FUCKING OUNTRY BY MYSELF?"

My mom paused, took a breath and tried to look calm as she said, "This isn't up for discussion, and you're leaving on Monday. Go start packing."

"I HATE YOU. YOU'RE ALWAYS OUT TO GET ME. WHY CAN'T I HAVE A DECENT PARENT LIKE EVERYONE ELSE?" I screeched, as I stormed upstairs to my bedroom.

I sat on my bed and started to cry…why were they doing this to me? Don't get me wrong, England sounds amazing with no parents, I could drink and have as much fun as I want…but not at some prep school. Fuck. What now?

As my tears subsided, I looked over at my phone… seven new texts in the past half hour. Ever since I started partying, my social life has been amazing! I'm always wanted…will it be like that in prep school? They'll probably just think I'm a rebel… just there because my parents couldn't deal with me. Not that that isn't true…but who wants rich uptight bitches to think that?

The best way to survive high school: fit in. That's what I've been doing the last six months, and my life has been SO much better since. I have friends, I have fun, and I don't feel unwanted anymore… but all that is going to end in three days.

My eyes began to tear again, as my phone rang, "Hello?" I choked.

"Hey sexy, it's Lexi…we're going to the creek to party, come with?"

I fucking love my friends, "Fuck yes! I need to get shit off my mind..."

"Babe what happened?"

"Mom's sending me to a London prep school, because she fucking hates me,"

"WHAT? Like London…England? Mel, you NEED to go!"

"What the fuck are you talking about? I don't want to go to a prep school! They'll hate me!"

"So? You'll be in England! Meet sexy boys, fuck shit up, have fun! Take advantage of this, it's a once in a lifetime chance! And, you won't have to see you're parents until the summer!"

"I guess." Sometimes even my best friend pisses me off…

"Anyways, come to the party! Get wasted and have some fun!"

"Whatever. Bye."

That bitch. She couldn't care less that I'm leaving! Whatever, a party sounded pretty good…

I woke up the next morning, with a terrible headache and the smell of vomit and beer everywhere.

_What happened last night…?_

I genuinely couldn't remember a thing, which meant last night was killer! I got up and started searching for my stuff…we always crash at someone's house after a party, usually Lexi's because her parents are chill about everything. I found my phone on the side table, 12 missed calls from my parents. Fuck. They had no idea where I was (Sneaking out of the house is my specialty). However, staying longer would mean I'd get yelled at...but if I got home before my mom and dad woke up meant I had time to bail myself out…problem's solved!

I was home in 10 minutes, and fully dressed in 15. Mom and dad woke up to me eating breakfast (food always helps a hangover).

"Where have you been?" My dad asked, ever so calmly.

"Out. I figure, I have to leave in a few days; I'm going to miss my friends. I want to spend some time with them before I leave."

_Careful Mel…_

"Well tell us next time, okay sweetheart? We were worried!" I wasn't getting yelled at? Sick.

"Okay well, I'm going to pack. " I figured, if I leave before he comes to his senses and yells, I'll be better off…

The rest of my weekend was spend packing, and listening to various sob stories about how much I was going to be missed by my mom and friends. I'll admit; it was pretty good for my ego! And Lexi apologized at the party, so we were okay now.

However, I didn't realize until Sunday night how much I was going to miss them! These were my friends! I loved them so much, and I wasn't going to be able to see them until summer…and it was only October. I was already starting to miss my friends and family, before I'd even left.

We hugged and cried at the airport, and eventually I was gone. The flight itself was a bore; mostly I just slept, and listened to my ipod. Since I'm only 16, I couldn't ask for any alcohol, so obviously time passed by incredibly slowly…


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2:

I landed in England, totally jet-lagged and stressed out, some old lady was there and picked me up to bring me to my new school.

"Hi dear, I'm Mrs. D, principal at London's finest private school, _Mary's Institute for Young Women_."

"Hi, I'm Mel."

The ride to the school was incredibly awkward, as was meeting the girls in my dorm. For some reason, they were ALL into boy bands…particularly one called _One Direction_? I've never been a fan of fake pop singers…I'd much rather listen to talented musicians, like the Beatles. But they were nice enough, and they didn't judge me as much as I thought they would. I mean, they judged my dyed black hair and thick eyeliner, but they weren't too rude about it. One girl in particular, Katie, was very sweet to me, she showed me the grounds and she was so much more chill than I expected anyone at a prep school could be!

The first day was brutal. I met a couple of girls, but they weren't from the right crowd. There was no way I was going from being popular, to a nobody. Don't get me wrong, Katie was sweet, but I wasn't going to feel accepted by the school if I only had one friend.

Thankfully, sharing a dorm definitely helped with meeting people. By the second night, things were looking up; I'd just spend two hours pretending I cared, while a bunch of girls talked about _One Direction_. I admit, they were hot (or 'fit' as they said), but I still doubted their talent. Regardless, I was making friends, maybe all the girls here were crazy fan-girls, but they seemed to be accepting me into their circle, so I couldn't exactly complain…

As the weeks past, school became easier. I'd made it in the popular crowd, I still talked to everyone from home at least once a week and the people here seemed to think I was okay.

Every Friday night, we were allowed out from 7:00 to 12:00, which for a private school was pretty damn impressive! Kelsey, the Queen Bee of Mary's had gotten two tickets to a One Direction concert, and demanded I come and actually give them a chance.

"You have to! They're SO talented! And SO beautiful! Please Mel?"

"Whatever, I'm not into boy bands though, so if I ruin your fun, it's your fault!"

She squealed, "You won't regret it! I promise!"

So off we went to see One Direction… and they were good. For one thing, they weren't just a bunch of pretty faces; they could legit sing. And maybe it wasn't my type of music, but they definitely made me like pop a bit more. One boy in particular, Kelsey said his name was Liam, really caught my eye.

Kelsey spend the entire time crying and screaming for the boys, especially Niall, the blond one. I could see why, he was cute, but no way in hell would I scream and cry like that over some pop singer…

Of course, the concert ran late, and we didn't get back until 1:30 am, just my luck right? So we got detention for a month, plus we had to stay in every Friday night for the next two months. Fuck. My parents were going to be pissed…

Part of my detention (we couldn't have detention together either…) was to clean bathrooms. On my second week, I noticed we were out of toilet paper, and Mrs. D asked me to come with her to get some more from the store until the school's next shipment came in. Great.

She waited for me in the car, while I went to buy toilet paper (what kind of prep school does this exactly? Like seriously, what the fuck). When suddenly, CRASH.

"Oh gosh, I'm sorry!" I just rammed some guy over…smooth…

"Oh no problem, it was my fault." He looked up at me, and it was _him_. Liam, the boy from One Direction with the abs and deep sexy voice, and I had just knocked him down.

I extended my hand to help him up, my palms slightly sweaty, "Sorry again, I can't believe I did that!"

"Not a problem, I should have been looking where I was going. I can be so clumsy sometimes…"

I laughed, " No stress, I'm definitely the clumsy one, I knocked you over. Although, I may ask why a super famous boy is in the middle of a grocery store?"

This time he laughed, "I didn't think you recognized me! I just happen to be the pickiest one in the band, so they made me buy the food."

"Who in the UK wouldn't? I just got here, like two weeks ago, and already, I know whom One Direction is. As for being picky, my mom used to make me go grocery shopping every week, so I'd actually eat once in a while."

"Ah, so you aren't British, I knew you're accent was off!" He smiled. Holy fuck, that smile.

"I'm American, I'm here because my parents didn't wan to deal with me anymore."

"Well, it was nice meeting you…" Oh awkward, he didn't know my name.

"Melissa, but everyone calls me Mel."

"Nice meeting you; it's great finding someone so relaxed to talk to!"

The next words out of my mouth shocked even me, "Well, maybe you should get my number and talk to me more often?" I'd always been a bit of a flirt, but this? Oh god, I was setting myself up for rejection.

"That sounds great, give me your phone and I'll add myself!"


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3:

I guess I shouldn't have expected a call, or even a text, but I was upset when it didn't come. I couldn't tell anyone because they'd chew me out trying to get all the details of the encounter and they'd probably be angry that I hadn't gotten pictures and autographs from them. I'd I had barely talked to anyone from back home, except mom and dad for the past month, so I couldn't just randomly call Lexi and pour my heart out, now could I?

Especially because she'd probably be having a great time partying, while I still wasn't allowed out Fridays. I genuinely hadn't had a drink since the Friday before I left for England, so it had been about 6 weeks now. Damn I missed it! Getting drunk and just joking around all the time are so great! I mean, I missed my friends too, but I never thought I'd be friends with them forever, so that didn't hurt nearly as much as knowing that I wasn't going to have any fun for a long time…

Two more weeks past, with nothing from Liam, and nothing from anyone in Vegas, except mom and dad. My days were steadily becoming more monotonous and boring, and I hated it. I was getting sick of listening to these girls act like they actually knew One Direction, while I sat there and tried to keep my mouth shut about meeting Liam, by accident.

There was no excitement in my life. None at all. I was bored all the time, and nothing made me feel _alive_ anymore. Thankfully, tonight would be the first night I was allowed out again, hopefully, that would mean I could finally enjoy myself!

7 O'clock hit, and suddenly, I started feeling alive, I changed out of my uniform, and into actual clothes, and headed out.

"Mel, where are you going?" Kelsey.

"I just want some fresh air! I'll be back before curfew!" I tried to smile, when in reality, Kelsey's peppiness was making me want to kick something.

"I'll come with you!"

"I just want to be alone for a minute, don't worry about okay? I'm a big girl!" Smile, as always, keep everyone happy…

I left as soon as I could, and just started walking. I had no idea what I wanted to do; I just needed to get away from everyone as soon as possible. I kept walking until I got to a pet store. Lame, I know, but I wasn't legal drinking age, so until I found someone with booze, I couldn't get drunk, or go to any clubs.

I was looking at the turtles, when a familiar voice interrupted me, "I used to have a pet turtle…"

I gasped, "Liam! Oh my god, what are you doing here?" I laughed as he gave me a huge hug.

"I was just looking at animals, I love them. And honestly, I can't go many places without getting bombarded with fans, and sometimes it's nice to get away, you know?"

"Oh trust me, I get it, that's what I'm doing right now… Life's just been so monotonous since I came to England. My private school sucks!"

"I wish my life had a little more monotony, I'm so busy all the time, I treasure my little bit of down time."

" Which clearly is used to stalk me at pet stores and grocery markets." I said with mock horror. Wow, what was I even doing? This was getting ridiculous, "Anyways, I should get going before I get in trouble for being out too late. It was nice seeing you again though, good luck with everything."

He laughed, " Yeah, the lads are probably waiting for me back at the flat, I should probably get going…"

We both walked out of the pet store and I started walking back to Mary's, when he called out, " You aren't walking are you?"

"Well, yeah… how else am I going to get home?"

He rolled his eyes and pulled out his car keys, jingling them in front of me, 'Want a ride? I'm not letting you walk home alone after dark."

"I can do whatever I want. You can't stop me." I crossed my arms over my chest; he was _so _not acting all gentlemanly after not bothering to text me after all this time, "Why do you care anyways?"

"Because, if you get hurt, it'll be on my conscience. Now hurry up, it's getting cold."

"I won't get hurt. I've been out late plenty."

'Accidents happen once. Either you come, or I'll drive behind you until you're back. You're choice" He smiled again.

"Fine." I retorted. Fuck. What was England doing to me?

I tried to keep the ride as silent as possible, but that lasted about 10 seconds…

"So why exactly are you in England? Aren't there plenty of school in America?"

"Well…I…um…" Call me crazy, but for some reason, I didn't want him to know why I was _actually_ here, "I won a scholarship, so my parents send me to England, because some of the best schools are here…"

"Wow really? That's incredible! I bet you must be every parents dream child!"

"Ummm, not every parent…some parents are more keen on letting their kids have you know…fun once in a while…" What. The. Fuck. Was. I. Doing.

"Well balance is important, you can't be out drinking and partying every night. School's important too."

Dammit. He was mature and responsible and here I was, pretending to be a good, smart girl, when really all I'd wanted since I got to London was to get drunk and have fun.

Thankfully, the ride was over soon, so I didn't have to lie for much longer, "Thanks for driving me here."

"No problem, I'll text you soon!" I'd heard that before…

"Yeah sure, good night!"

I dashed inside and searched for a small quiet room, so I could think about what had just happened…

I had met Liam Payne, twice, in 2 months

Liam Payne told me he'd text me.

I had lied to Liam Payne, and he was under the impression that I was a sweet innocent little girl

Reality struck then…we wasn't ACTUALLY going to text me, and I was probably never going to see him again, so who cares if he thought I was sweet and innocent? It's not like he was going to become a big part of my life!

As soon as I stopped over reacting, I walked upstairs, changed into my pj's and went to bed. I wasn't sure where the girls were, but honestly, I couldn't care less. Tomorrow I'd probably here all about it anyways…


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4:

I woke up late, as usual; and was late for class, again as usual. But today, I was so late; I didn't even check my phone. The first time I got my phone out was lunch, in the café with Kelsey, and a few others. I didn't expect anything, but I had a text, and not a text, but _the_ text. Liam Payne had texted me. Just a simple _"good morning :)_" But it was more than enough! My heart leapt out of place and my face started going red.

"Mel? What's wrong with you? Should I call someone?" Kelsey, concerned as always.

"Me? Oh, I'm fine, don't worry about me!" Did I really sound as fake as I thought?

On the inside, I was unraveling. I had lied to someone as sweet as Liam Payne, and he had actually bothered talking to me. Liam Payne was talking to me. I'm not sure what was happening to me…it was a mixture or nerves and anger and flattery…

"Um, actually, I'm not feeling too well… I think I'll go back up to bed, would you mind telling our teachers?"

"No not at all! Oh, feel better sweetie!" She exclaimed, as she hugged me.

I just about ran out of the cafeteria, and into the girl's dorm. I still hadn't texted him back.

_Hi :) lol, sorry I just got my phone…_

Did I want him to text me back? Did I want him to ignore me? Oh. My. God. What the hell was wrong me with me?

I decided I needed a shower, to calm down, and then maybe I'd stop being to stupid and actually find the answer to this? No such luck. Even a hot relaxing shower couldn't get my mind off Liam texting me. First of all, he was Liam fucking Payne, he could get ANY girl… and yet he was texting me? Did he like me? If so, as a friend…or more than a friend? Of course, I couldn't let myself fantasize too much, because as soon as I did, reality would sting and remind me that as soon as he found out I'd lied to him, he'd hate me.

But since when did I care what others thought? I'd always had the "Fuck you" attitude…and suddenly, I lie about one little thing and I'm freaking out. What. The. Actual. Fuck.

I checked my phone the second I left the shower… one new text

_Lol not a problem, school must be crazy, especially after just transferring. I wanted to ask you, I have the day off, do you have any time to hang out tonight?_

I should have said no, that would have been the smart answer, but that answer would also prove to him the goody-goody image he had of me… but if I ditched and met up with him, then maybe he'd get it? So, against all my intelligence, I replied with:

_Sure, I'm free the rest of the day!_

He texted back right away…

_Great! Meet me at the pet store in an hour?_

_Yeah, sure :)_

I was fucked…


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5:

I wanted to ditch, I should have ditched, and I definitely could have ditched. But did I? No. I'm such an idiot.

"You look stressed." Came his warm voice, from behind me.

"I'm not, I just… thinking."

He cocked an eyebrow, "Stressful thoughts?"

I sighed, "I guess you could say that." For some reason, I couldn't help but to smile.

"Well, maybe, if you're up for meeting some of my friends, you'll be distracted and feel better?"

_That wasn't going to happen with him here…_

"Sure." Fuck.

Liam smiled, and motioned towards his car; I'd never noticed before, but he had a really expensive looking car, no idea what kind of car, but an expensive looking one.

Conversation came easily between us, I promised myself I would be honest with him from now on, and find a way to bring up my lie and fix it…but I never got a chance. To be honest, the chance could have been easily made…but I was far too interested in his life…

Liam Payne was fascinating. He didn't drink, do drugs or party and yet, he wasn't an uptight prick.. He told me about how he was bullied, and so he took up boxing (that would explain his beautiful body). At one point, we talked about our first relationships.

"I sang to a girl, she accepted, then broke up with me the next day."

I couldn't help but laugh, "What a jerk, I wouldn't have broken up with you the _next_ day, I'd give you a week…"

"Alright then, what about you're first relationship?" he said with mock anger.

" Ummm, when I was five, I was married to every boy in my class, including the teacher. Does that count?"

"Nope! Every girl dated their teacher when they were five, first real relationship!" That smile, every time I saw it, I liked it a little more.

"Well, as relationships go, I haven't had any _real_ relationships. I've had a couple flings, but nothing major. They did last more than a day though…"

"Oh did they? Go on then, how long did they last?" he joked.

"Three days, actually." I stated, matter-of-factly.

We both burst out laughing.

By this point, we had arrived at his flat. I got nervous again, I wanted his friends to like me; I'd been popular back home, I wanted to be popular here…at least that's what I told myself.

I needed to keep reminding myself that I was a bit of a chameleon, I'd always morphed to other people, and I'd always fit in. If I could do it back home, I could sure as fuck do it here. If that's what he and the boys liked, that's what I was willing to be. Besides, I'd been sober since I got to England, I could stay sober until summer. Liam didn't need to know my past; he could think I'd always been sweet, kind and innocent. That's all he was going to see from me after all.

We walked into his flat in silence, I guess he could sense I was thinking; but I doubted he would ever guess what I was thinking about, he probably assumed I was just nervous.

"Here we are." We stood in front of his door, "Are you okay? If you'd rather hang out, just us-"

"What?" I laughed, " No, of course not! I'd love to meet them!"

He smiled that dazzling smile, once again and opened his door. The first thing I noticed was that it wasn't some expensive tricked-out flat. It was like an apartment. He had a black couch; beside it was his guitar and across was the kitchen. Again, it wasn't anything extravagant or fancy, just a few cupboards, a fridge and a stove.

"So the famous Liam Payne lives in a plain old flat? Where's your rock-star mansion?" I teased.

"The boys and I aren't into the 'rock-star lifestyle'. We'd rather be boring and simple. And, speaking of the boys, they'll be here soon."

I looked over at the guitar "You play?"

"Only a little, Niall's the expert. I also play the piano a bit…"

I smiled, as sweetly as I could, "Play for me?"

Liam walked over to his guitar, and started playing a few chords. Honestly, he wasn't the greatest, but he definitely wasn't awful.

"You aren't bad…when everyone else gets here, you should have a competition, to see who's best."

"No way! Niall would win! He's really incredible at the guitar, I can only just play."

The door opened then, to reveal four boys, all incredibly attractive, walking into Liam's flat.

"Hello boys, this is Melissa. She's American, but she won a scholarship to a private school in London. Melissa, these are Louis, Harry, Zayn and Niall." He motioned to each one.

"Hi, it's nice to meet you!" perky and cute…

"Hello love, I'm Louis!" he had beautiful eyes, and hair. The kind you can stare at for hours and not get bored of.

"I'm Harry!" He was a bit shorter, with dark curly hair and gorgeous green eyes.

"I'm Niall" This one was carrying food, had blond hair and blue eyes. Best of all, he had a fucking Irish accent.

"And I'm Zayn." He seemed to give off that_ Dark and Mysterious_ kind of vibe; he had tanned skin, dark hair and dark brown eyes.

When Kelsey took me to the concert, I realized how hot they were, but I did not think that they were drop dead sexy. Damn. My guilt kicked in…I was going to live a lie in front of them… Thankfully, I'd gotten good at telling my conscience to shut the fuck up, and that's exactly what I did.

The boys were hilarious! We spend the entire day eating, laughing and talking about America. Apparently, it was an interesting topic…

"So, in America, they call football soccer and they call the game where you use your hands football?" Louis looked genuinely confused.

"Basically, leave it to us Americans, right?"

"Louis, don't forget these are the same people who made pizza into a vegetable." Harry joked.

"The best damn vegetable there could be!" I retorted.

"Niall, you're the food expert, are pizza's vegetables?" Louis quizzed.

"If I say yes, will someone order one right now? I'm hungry."

"We should make one!" Harry exclaimed.

"You guys can make one, I'll watch, since I suck at cooking." I joked.

"Harry's brilliant at cooking!" Zayn put in.

"Especially Mexican. He makes amazing fajitas!" Louis exclaimed.

"In all seriousness, I've never had a fajita…" I said, meekly.

"I'll make you one!" Harry kind of sounded like a super hero.

I smiled, "I'd love to try them, but I need to get back!"

"Right, you still have school! Do you need me to drive you home?" Liam asked.

"I'd like it, but I can call a taxi."

"I'll drive. Boys, don't break anything! Zayn's in charge until I get back."

Once I got back, I snuck into my bed, pulled the covers over my head, and prayed I wouldn't be expelled. I had literally ditched half the day. I was fucked.

Just then I heard Kelsey's voice, "I came to check on her, and she was gone!" Fucking rat.

She and Mrs. D walked in, to find me huddled in my covers. I smiled meekly, "Hi." I tried to sound as sick as I could.

"Kelsey tells me you were missing just twenty minutes ago. Is this true?"

I looked over at Kelsey, genuine care and confusion clouded her eyes. She was a sweet girl, but she needed to learn to keep her mouth shut.

"Oh, I went for a walk, I just needed some air. I-I'm sorry…"

Mrs. D glared at me, obviously she knew I was lying, but she had no proof, so she simply said, "We need to know next time, and since you missed half a day of classes, you'll have to do make up assignments."

Shit, no way was that happening…I needed to sell my story, "Okay, I'll do make up assignments, but may I please sleep first? I feel _awful_ right now." I sniffled a bit, and gave a sleepy smile.

"Fine. We'll talk later. Kelsey, back to class." And the two walked out.

I was safe this time, but I needed to be careful, firstly, the boys thought I was a well- behaved little girl. Secondly, I could get expelled for skipping class. Thirdly, and I had to admit it to at least myself, I liked Liam. I liked him a lot.

I was safe this time, but I needed to be careful, firstly, the boys thought I was a well- behaved little girl. Secondly, I could get expelled for skipping class. Thirdly, and I had to admit it to at least myself, I liked Liam. I liked him a lot.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6:

The next week passed by with monotony. I decided to stay in Friday night, and prove to Mrs. D I was a sweet innocent child, not a troublesome teenager. I think she may have bought it, because Monday morning, she actually smiled at me! Getting the faculty on my side was crucial to my change.

I had a routine now: Wake up, shower, breakfast, class, lunch, class, dinner and finally, sleep. It was a boring routine, and one that involved no drinking, partying or having fun; but I wanted to be the girl Liam thought I was, so I had made it my duty to do better in school. Lame, but there was no fucking way that I was going to let anything slip.

I still felt guilty about lying, I hated knowing that they trusted me, and I was fucking them over. Friday night, before I met the boys, I took a long shower. The thing with showers is that they can either de-stress you, or make you think about what a bad person you are, and stress you out even more. Guess which I got?

I came out of the shower, and stared at myself. My eyes were tear stained and swollen, which made my sort-of tanned skin look blotchy. My long black hair was dripping wet, making the entire bathroom a pond. I was a pretty damn confident person back in Vegas, the way I held myself made it clear that I knew what I was doing. But now, as I looked at my reflection, I saw a small timid girl; my brown eyes lacked the "I'm –better- than – everyone" gleam. Now, they said, "I'm fucked," and I hated it.

My eyes were beginning to tear again, when my phone rang.

"Hello?" I answered, trying to keep my voice even.

"Hey, it's Harry. Just a heads up, we'll be at the pet store in about half an hour… and why are we meeting at a pet store?"

I couldn't help but smile, Harry was so sweet and his question brought back memories of me and Liam's encounter at the pet store, " Oh gosh, long story… I'll explain later. And, I just got out of the shower, so I'll probably be late…"

"Wait, does that mean you're naked?" Leave it to Harry.

"Nope! I'm in a towel! Anyways, I should probably start actually getting ready… I'll see everyone soon!"

I hung up, got dressed, put my hair in a bun, put on mascara and left the bathroom. I checked the time; maybe I wouldn't be late after all? Kelsey stopped me on my way out of the girl's dorm.

"Who were you on the phone with?"

" Oh, a friend. I'm going to meet… her right now, so I can't stay and chat."  
>"Bring her here! We'll have a movie night!" She was actually such an idiot.<p>

"I can't. Bye!"

I half ran to the pet store, hoping I wouldn't be too late, only to find the boys weren't here yet. I sighed, leave it to them to be late! I waited twenty minutes, before I called Liam to ask where he was. No response. I called harry, with the same result. I called Niall, Zayn and Louis, and none of them answered their phones. It was getting dark, and they boys weren't here yet, it wasn't like them to stand someone up, especially when Harry called saying that they were on their way.

I was getting really worried when, finally, Liam's car pulled up.

He motioned me to get in, and I obeyed, sitting in the passenger seat but no one else was in the car.

"Liam, where is everyone?" I asked slowly.

" Louis got a speeding ticket and is talking to the police as we speak; that's why none of us could call you back. We were close to my flat, so I went and got my car to pick you up. Would you mind hanging out with us at my flat again? I'm not entirely sure when the boys will be coming a-"

"Of course I don't mind! I love your flat!"

He looked relieved, "Good. Now, shall we pick up something to eat on the way home, or would you like homemade food?"

"That depends, who's cooking?"

He smiled, keeping his eyes on the road, "Us." One simple word, but it gave me butterflies. _Us._

"Sounds good." I smiled back. I couldn't cook, and I doubted Liam could, but any amount of time spend with Liam, was time well spend.

Shockingly, Liam couldn't cook, but he could sort of bake. We spend the evening making brownies, followed by watching movies. Liam loved Toy Story, and he could practically recite the entire movie. I personally, had never really spent time watching kid movies, because it just wasn't cool. However, it felt nice to just sit back, eat brownies and watch a G rated flick.

Liam had gotten a call from Louis, saying that they were going to continue with their plan (which apparently was bowling), so that left Liam and I, alone in his house, baking and watching Pixar movies. It did feel kind of like a date, but he hadn't tried to kiss me, or even cuddle. Besides, I refused to let this be a date, I refused to hurt Liam, and he would be hurt, once he found out I'd blatantly lied to him. Sure, I was playing the character, and I'd done so my entire life, but for some reason, I didn't want to do that to Liam.

_But what if you told him the truth? Right now? _The little voice in my head whispered.

"Liam, I have something to tell you." I looked down at my lap; I hated knowing how much I was going to hurt him.

"Yeah?" he looked over curiously.

I chickened out, " I-I'm having a great night."

"Me too." He smiled, and that's when it happened. I didn't plan for it; I didn't want it to happen (or did I?). Liam leaned in, and pressed his lips into mine, very gently. It was short and simple, but very sweet and passionate. My whole body felt as though someone had sent an electric shock through it. Never once had a boy made me feel this way, and suddenly Liam came along and everything was lit on fire.

My heart sang; Liam Payne had just kissed me. _Me._ He liked me. Liam Payne actually liked me! I pushed away any remnants of guilt; I was ecstatic, I'd dated many boys before, but none of them had really meant a lot to me; Liam however, I couldn't even bring myself to deny my feelings for. And that was a first.

Things should have gotten really awkward after that point, and with most people, they probably would have, but Liam and I just continued to watch Toy Story. The only difference was that now, I was leaning against him, with his arm around me.

For a split second, I felt like I could be _me_, and then I remembered, Liam didn't even know me, not a single thing.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7:

How could he know me? I barely even knew me… I'd spent my entire life fitting in; being what everyone wanted, and now, I didn't even know who the _real_ Melissa was. I didn't have any hobbies that were special to me, or a _real_ best friend. I was a shell. And there was nothing that made me…_ me._ And, if I stayed with Liam (I assumed we were dating, at this point), I never would find the Melissa.

I cared for Liam, deeply; more than I'd ever liked anyone before, but that's only because I never let myself fall for anyone. And of course, because I'm an idiot, I let myself fall for Liam Payne, and these were the consequences… I'd have to continue as a shell. Was I willing to take that risk for the boys… for Liam?

"Mel, what is it?"

I hadn't realized, but a tear had slipped out, and as soon as I realized, the tears wouldn't stop, "I-I'm sorry. I don't why I'm crying…"

Liam waited for me to continue, but when I didn't, he asked, " What's wrong babe?" as he pulled me onto his lap.

I couldn't respond. What was I supposed to say? I was fucked. I wanted to tell him now, more than ever. But I couldn't; the words simply wouldn't leave my mouth. Fuck, when had I become such an emotional wreck?

"What's wrong Mel?" he held me close and stroked my hair.

I clung onto him, I didn't know what to tell him, but I knew that our relationship wouldn't last, one way or another I would hurt him… and he would leave. It was inevitable. But in that moment, I wanted him as close to me as possible, until the moment we parted ways.

My tears finally subsided, and I spoke as clearly as I possibly could, "It's stupid… I'm just a little stressed out. I'm sorry for taking this out on you."

Liam leaned in, and kissed away my sadness. Our first kiss was more like a peck; this one was deeper, more meaningful than the one before. I responded immediately, clinging on to Liam. Every cell in my body was alive, begging for more. Fuck I was going to miss this.

I pulled back, "Thank you." I whispered, and leaned my head into his chest.

He kissed the top of my head, "Anything for you."

_Liam:_

I parked my car and made my way up to my flat, confused and angry. What was she hiding from me? I never wanted to assume that I knew everything about Mel, but I always thought there was something she deliberately didn't tell me; it was part of the attraction. But, this? Seeing her shaking with tears, and trying to think of an excuse? I cared deeply for Mel, and I thought she the same… why was she doing this to me? I'd made it quite clear that I would always be there for her, why wouldn't she return the favour by telling me what was hurting her?

And then, there was the anger. Whomever, or whatever was doing this to Mel enraged me. I didn't want anything to hurt her, especially to the point where she wouldn't even talk about it. I would make whatever this was pay, no one had the right to bring _my_ girlfriend to tears.

"Liam, mate! We just got back, is Mel still here?" Zayn asked.

"No, I just took her back." Monotone.

"What's wrong, Liam?"

"Nothing."

"Come to my flat, the boys are all there, I was just on my way to come get you and Mel, if she were still here…"

"Okay." Still monotone.

Zayn and I walked back to his flat in silence; I knew he was curious, but he wouldn't say anything. I was worried about the other boy's though, they would never pry, but they would definitely push further to find out… and what was I supposed to tell them? I kissed Mel, she cried, and then we kissed some more? I was going to sound pathetic…

"There you are! Liam, what's wrong mate?" Louis' voice rang out.

The boys looked at me expectant. I sighed and replied with, " I think Mel's hiding something."

"Like what?" Harry asked.

I sat down on Zayn's sofa, next to Niall and responded, " I don't know. She was crying tonight, but she wouldn't tell me why."

"Well, what were you doing before?" Niall questioned.

"Watching Toy Story. Then I kissed her, and next thing I knew, she was crying."

"She's a girl mate, they're emotional; I'm sure she'll tell you when she's ready." Louis always gave great advice.

"But… I don't know, she seems to be hiding something; I always got that feeling, and today…"

"How'd you make her stop crying?" Niall asked.

"Kissed her again, what else could I do?"

Eventually I went back to my flat, and slept. I was tired and upset, despite having my first date with the girl I'd fancied since I first laid eyes on her. I wanted her to know that she could trust me, which obviously she didn't, if she kept something hidden from me. Feeling a little helpless, I let myself succumb to sleep.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8:

Melissa woke Saturday morning to the vibrations of her phone; she quickly dashed out of the dorm, where most girls were asleep, and into the bathroom.

"Hello?" her groggy voice answered.

"Melissa? It's Louis, I was wondering if you were up for a quick chat this morning?" he sounded very much so awake, typical Louis…

"Now?" Melissa whined, "But it's like… six in the morning, and I'm technically not allowed out right now."

"Just a quick chat! Besides, who's going to notice you're missing at this time?"

I sighed, "Fine."

"Great, I'll pick you up at the pet store in half an hour?" how can someone be so happy, so early?

"Fine…"

I didn't bother getting dressed; Louis would have to deal with my bed head and old baggy sweater. I did however, brush my teeth, but that was about it… I snuck out, and made it to the pet store, just as Louis parked his car.

"Good morning, babe! Fancy getting some breakfast?" He motioned for me to get in his car, which I obeyed.

Louis wasted no time getting to the point, "So Liam was upset yesterday." He began.

"Oh… why's that?" I knew why, but I decided to play dumb instead.

Louis raised an eyebrow, "You really have no idea what could have made Liam upset yesterday?"

I didn't respond for a minute, then finally, "What do you want from me Louis?"

He just smiled and drove to a nearby coffee shop, making sure he used the drive through incase anyone saw us.

After we got breakfast, he finally responded, "I just want to make sure you aren't hurting Liam."

My hands clenched into fists, the tears from last night were threatening to leak again, but I wouldn't cry, not here, not now. I had far too much pride for that. Louis noticed something was wrong, because he parked his car in a nearby parking lot and looked at me. I kept my eyes concentrated on my lap, hoping this would end.

After a long moment, he finally asked, "Do you want to hurt him?" There was no malice, no anger… just a simple question.

"No."

"So why are you?" again, just a simple question.

I finally looked up, my eyes brimmed with tears, "It's inevitable." I whispered.

"How so?" he seemed genuinely concerned right now, maybe it was just for Liam's sake, but he seemed to actually care about _me._

I took a deep breath; I was about to spill my secret, to my boyfriend's friend, "because I lied to him. I wish I hadn't. But I did, and once he finds out, he'll hate me." Tears were spilling down my cheeks, as I fought for control.

"What did you lie about?"

I couldn't answer that, not with words anyways, so I gave Louis my phone, "Look through it. You'll see." I said.

Louis obeyed, I wasn't sure what he looked at, but he certainly got the idea pretty quick…

"So everything Liam thinks you are, is a lie?" finally, his smile had disappeared; his voice was perfectly kind still, but I could tell… I'd hit a nerve.

"I'm sorry."

"He deserves the truth."

"I know."

"And if you don't tell him, I will."

My body froze. He couldn't! He wouldn't! Fuck, I was screwed.

"No!" pride forgotten, my tears poured out, and I completely broke down, "Please don't tell him! Please! He can't know! Please don't Louis!"

"Look, I don't want to hurt you, but Liam's my mate, and I owe him that. Either you tell him, or I will." His voice wasn't harsh, rather honest.

Louis didn't need to yell, I got the message loud and clear: Liam and I were going to break up.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9:

I should have gone back to school, at least, any remotely intelligent person would have. But did I? No, because I'm fucking stupid. I begged Louis to drive to Liam's flat, so I could talk to him; or at least, that was my intention.

I used to be amazing at containing my emotions, but for some reason, I couldn't do that anymore. I knocked on the door, and the second Liam opened the door, I threw my arms around his neck and crushed my lips into his. I'm not completely sure how it happened, but my body dispatched itself from my brain and acted on its own accord. He kissed me back, although he was clearly shocked.

When we finally pulled apart, I pressed my forehead against his. By this point, we were sitting on his couch, don't ask me how we got there, I have no fucking idea.

Keeping my forehead against his, I whispered, " I know I've screwed up, and I probably will more in the future… but I want you to know that I really like you. And… and I'm sorry." My pride took a beating, but it was necessary.

Liam paused, "I want you to know, that you can tell me anything. I care a lot about you Mel." He looked sincerely into my eyes.

" You won't though. Not after I tell you…" My voice broke on tell. I hated this, but it had to be done. For Liam's sake… I'd rather him hear it from me than Louis.

"Tell me what?" His voice was gentle.

"Liam, I-I'm not here on a scholarship because I'm a well-behaved girl." I started slowly, "I'm here because my parents thought a private school, far away was what I needed to learn to behave." I paused and looked at him, realization was dawning on him, it was over. We had barely begun, but this was the end.

"What do you mean 'behave'?" Liam kept his voice steady, but I could tell the anger was bubbling in him.

I'll show you…" I whispered, as I took out my phone and showed him pictures of me, drinking, partying and even hooking up.

I looked at Liam as he looked through my pictures. I could see the anger, the frustration and disappointment in his eyes. We sat silently for a minute, I wanted desperately to tell him that I'd changed, and I was someone else. But why would he trust me after I'd deliberately lied to him for so long?

"I think you should go." His voice sounded defeated, like he'd lost someone he truly cared about.

"Liam, please! Let me explain!" the tears threatened to come again; everything was over. We were done, but I had to try.

"There's nothing to say," he replied, "I was wrong, I don't know who you are. Not at all."

"Liam I-" I stammered.

"Please… just go."

I had ruined everything. Liam and I were done, and I was never going to see him, ever again.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10:

I won't bore you with the next three months of my monotonous life; I got in huge trouble for leaving campus, so I had detention until the end of the year. I didn't talk to anyone, and eventually, even Kelsey got the hint and left me alone. I was a shell. I didn't know who I was anyone; two forces conflicted in me, the party girl and the girl Liam had known. I was literally nothing.

I hadn't gotten over Liam either; he was a constant hum in my mind, sometimes I could shut him out, but usually he engulfed my mind with his presence. The worst part was when the girls would sit and chat about them… about him, as if they knew them… as if they knew him. I had to fight to keep my tears back on every single one of those nights. None of them knew the boys, not like I did.

One night, they sat down around a magazine and read an interview with Liam; I kept my eyes shut, trying to block everything out, as they read about his last relationship.

"Look how forgiving he is!" Kelsey exclaimed, " 'There was a girl I really liked a little while ago, but she lied and the relationship couldn't last. I was furious at first, but now I'm curious… what happened to her? I can't lie, I do still miss her!'" The girls all giggled.

My heart lurched. My entire body was shaking, I could no longer repress my tears, I grabbed my bag and coat, and left the room. I didn't care who saw me ditching campus, they could expel me for all I care; I needed to get away. Now. The cold air hit me, I hadn't been outside in three months, and it felt amazing!

Adrenaline pumped through me as I walked through the dark streets of London. I finally arrived at a pub, which technically, I wasn't allowed in. I didn't care; I'd snuck in back home, who said I couldn't do it here? Besides, I thought to myself, I needed someway of relaxing. Drinking had always taken my mind off everything; I knew it wouldn't fail me.

I was successful. Inside was everything I'd missed since the move. I started drinking, and drinking, and drinking. Everything seemed so much better, I laughed and danced and kept drinking.

_This was me._ My drunken self thought, _this is where I belong._

The last thing I remember before passing out from too much alcohol was a by calling my name.

And then, black.

I woke up with a throbbing headache, I could barely see, everything was still blurry. I rubbed my eyes, and looked around… where was I? I was lying on a couch, wrapped in blankets, but I'd never seen this couch before, at least not that I could remember.

"There you are sleepy-head!" A cheerful voice exclaimed.

The voice was too loud; I winced as the figure approached, "L-Louis?" I mumbled… was I still drunk? There was no way I was seeing Louis Tomlinson right now…

"Yep! About time you got up, breakfast's ready!"

"What happened? Where, exactly, am I? Why are you here?" my senses were beginning to come back to me. I'd never seen Louis' flat, which probably explained why I couldn't remember it.

Louis' smile disappeared, "You shouldn't have gone out clubbing, you aren't legally allowed to yet. You could have gotten into serious trouble."

"You were there?" I questioned, as I massaged my head.

I knew Louis liked to drink, but what were the chances that he'd be at the same club as me, the first time I went clubbing in this country?

"No, I was at a different club, you drunk texted me."

"So you brought me to your flat?"

"Liam was worried about you. You should call him and tell him you're okay."

"Why would he be worried?" No way in hell was I going to see Liam. Not happening. Not like this. Not after everything that had happened.

"Ask him." Louis shrugged.

I sighed, he was trying to help and having me sleep over was incredibly kind, "Thanks Louis."

His cheeky smile came back, "You're a bit of a slutty drunk, love."

I chuckled, "Yeah, I know. I do crazy stuff sometimes." I yawned as I started to get up to leave.

"Don't leave yet, Harry went to get Liam. They'll be here soon."

"All the more reason to leave. Liam doesn't want to see me. Thanks again Louis."

"He'll be furious if you leave."

I thought for a moment, "Fine, but only because I don't want him furious." I sat down stubbornly on the couch.

Louis changed the subject, "Now, just out of curiosity, what's the worst thing you've done at a party?"

"My first party, I drank so much that I passed out. Does that count?"

"No, everyone passes out at least once," he raised his eyebrows, "Some of us pass out many times, I see." He joked.

I ignored the last part, "Everyone? I sense an embarrassing story Mr. Tomlinson."

"You first." He insisted, his grin staying in place the entire time.

"You're so stubborn! Ummm…I hooked up with a boy four years older than me once?" I smiled, I couldn't actually remember that night, but apparently, I was the life of the party, "You're turn."

"My friends and I were walking down the street, drunk and we were cold, and so we took off all our clothes and huddled together."

"In the middle of the street?" I laughed. Leave it to Louis!

That's when the door opened. Harry entered, followed by Liam. I stopped laughing instantly. My heart skipped a beat, what was I supposed to say?

"Oh, she's finally awake." Harry exclaimed, "You're a really funny sleeper by the way."

I sighed, "Make me breakfast Harry, I'm hungry!" Maybe if I just pretended Liam wasn't there, he'd disappear and I would wake up back in my bed?

Before I knew it, Louis and Harry had left, leaving Liam and I alone. He stood by the door, and I sat at the opposite end of the room, on the couch. No one spoke. We didn't even look at each other.

Hours seemed to pass before I finally said, " Hi."

"Hello." He replied.

That was it, he wanted to see me; he came _here_.

Time to spit it out Payne, "Liam, why are here?" I didn't mean for the question to sound rude, but by the way he looked at me, I could tell it was.

He took a deep breath, and came to sit on the opposite end of the couch, " You worried me." He mumbled.

"Why?" I genuinely curious, he knew I liked to party, why did he care?

"Louis didn't tell you what happened?"

"No… what happened?"

"You were drunk, Louis got a text from you and he and I rushed over. When we got there you were-"

"Hooking up with someone? Yeah, that happens when I'm drunk. But it's no big deal." I answered as casually as I could… Was Liam jealous?

"The people at the club are much older than you. They could have taken it too far."

"Look," I started, "I don't remember any of this. Not at all… but it couldn't have been that bad. I am thankful for Louis' help. But that doesn't answer the question… Liam why are you here?"

He came and sat closer to me, "Because I missed you." He whispered as he picked up my hands.

"You shouldn't. You should hate me. A lot." I pulled my hands back. My heart was begging me to pounce on him, but I refused. I was not going t screw things up anymore.

"I was angry… but I realized how much lying was hurting you as well. You really are sorry."

"Yes, I am. But what's done is done…" I started to get up, this was not happening.

"Exactly, and it's time to put the past behind us."

I looked at him, shocked. Was Liam giving me a second chance? My heart began to race as I stammered, "W-what do you mean?"

"I mean I still care about you. And if you still like me, I'd be willing-"

He never got to finish that sentence. That's when my brain shut off and my heart took over. I threw my arms around his neck and pressed my lips into his passionately. I was getting a second chance! Liam didn't completely hate me!

He released the kiss, and looked at me straight in the face as he said:

"But you need to be completely honest, about everything. I don't mind you partying, but I want to be there, I want to watch over you."

I held out my pinky, "I promise!" I exclaimed.

I had Liam back, the boy I hadn't stopped thinking about once, was finally back in my grasp! Nothing could have made that moment better. Just sitting there, holding each other… it was perfect, and I hoped it would never end.

_End of Part 1._

Hi everyone! So, I don't normally write in the chapters, because I think it distracts from the story, but I had to take a moment and thank everyone!

5 REVIEWS! THAT'S INSANE! THANK YOU SO MUCH!

Also, this is only the end of part one… part two will include more of the other members of 1D, as well as a bit more about Mel's life!

Anyways, I hope you're enjoying everything and please feel free to criticize anything I do! It help me become a better writer, so please do!

Rate and Review lovelies 3333

Lots of love,

Parisa 3


	11. Chapter 11

_Part 2:_

So basically, the next few days went by like this…

I came back later that day, after Liam and I had made up. Liam drove me back, and luckily for me, everyone saw us and totally freaked out. So the girls all attached themselves to me, so I'd tell them about Liam, introduce them; get pictures and whatever the hell else. I got called down to Mrs. D's office, and she informed me that I was being expelled. That's when I freaked out.

Firstly, my parents would be pissed! I did not want to see the look on their faces when they realized that I got expelled for leaving campus, getting drunk, passing out and not returning until later the next day. I could already see my mom's face, her eyes filled with tears, and my dad's grave look of disappointment. Needless to say, I was worried.

And, just as importantly, how was I supposed to see Liam? We'd be across the world from each other! We'd just made up; we couldn't just _not_ see each other! Cruel fate. As soon as my life seemed like it was going to be okay, something like _this_ had to happen. My rollercoaster barely went up before it came plummeting down.

I'd be lying if I said that I didn't begged to stay, but to no avail. It seemed that England was done with me. They got me a flight out of England, for tomorrow morning. Fuck. I fumbled with my phone as I attempted to call Liam, I needed someone to consol me right now and tell me everything would be okay, and no one was better at that than Liam.

"'Ello?" he answered.

"Liam? It's me," I could already feel my voice cracking, and my throat closing.

"Mel? What's wrong babe?" I could practically see the warmth and concern in his eyes.

"I got expelled. I- I have to go back to America." Tears were spilling down my face; I couldn't help it. Everything was so perfect just hours before… how could this have happened?

Our conversation continued, I explained what had happened, and he promised to meet me tonight… to say goodbye.

Seven O'clock came, and I was waiting by the pet store. They didn't care if I left or not anymore, I was no longer a part of the school.

Liam showed up, in his car, and motioned me to get in. We drove to a park, and walked around, hand in hand, for a bit. However, our _actual_ conversation didn't start until we sat down by the bench. The sun was setting, and the park was abandoned, just Liam and I… for the last time.

"I don't want to leave." I whimpered.

"I don't want you to leave. But hat doesn't mean we need to end things." His voice was soothing, calm and warm.

"Yes we do. I'm never going to see you."

My tears leaked again, I scrunched my face, in an attempt to hide my tears, but Liam knew me too well. He took both my hands in his, and kissed where my tear had stopped travelling. He picked me up, and put me on his lap. He rubbed the small of my back as I lay my head against his chest and wept. This was it. We were over, forever.

"We don't need to brake up," his voice was hoarse, as if he was repressing a lot of emotion, "We can make it work, I travel a lot, I'm sure we'll visit America soon. We'll skype and text…" he trailed off sadly.

I was quiet for a minute; I didn't know what to say. I had never been a fan of long-distance relationships, but I was willing to try anything for Liam.

"Liam, I-" I chocked out, as tears trickled down my cheeks.

Liam put his hands on either side of my cheeks and pressed his forehead against mine, "I lost you once, I'm not losing you again." His voice was firm, but his eyes tender.

I kept my eyes on my window, trying to push back the lump in my throat. This was it. I was leaving. The airplane began to move. The further it got from the ground, the more I had to fight my emotions.

So much had happened; I'd met One Direction, I started dating Liam Payne, I had gone through heartbreak… I was a completely different person, living a completely different life. How was I supposed to return to America, and pretend I was the same girl? How was I supposed to go to a party and drink, and not feel instantly guilty because Liam wasn't there to watch over me? How was I supposed to go through the motions of a past life, when I felt so disconnected from it now? I was a brilliant actor, I had kept up charades my entire life, but I couldn't do that anymore. I'd hurt Liam too much doing that; I didn't want to hurt anyone else.

As soon my life had turned around for the better, it went downhill again. I was going to miss Liam; his smile, his eyes, his hair, the tender look of caring he gave me, his protectiveness, his laugh, his voice, his lips against mine. I was going to miss Liam, period.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12:

The next three months dragged on in monotony… I tried to return to my "past life", but I found I couldn't bring myself to break my promise to Liam and drink without him their. My friends called a few times, but I declined and they gave up.

Everyone assumed I was still the troublesome brat I was before London; no one knew how much I'd changed, how much Liam had changed me. I sat with the same crowd, but I no longer even tried to fit in, I would remain silent, keeping my thoughts and opinions to myself. Eventually, I left my group as retreated to the quiet of the library.

The once party-girl now spent her lunches reading in the library… I was pathetic. I longed to go out with my friends, to have fun! But I didn't have any friends anymore; I was isolated from the rest of the school. I didn't keep up with gossip, or suck up to any of the popular girls.

Adults began to even _like_ me! I handed in my work on time, I was always in class, and I even studied a bit for tests! My average had increased from a 67%, to an 83%, so my teachers loved me. My parents were happy, that I was finally shaping into the well-behaved kid I was supposed to be. My marks were good, I was always home, usually doing something they would deem as productive or appropriate.

But I was miserable. I hated being inside all the time! At least in England, I could listen to conversations, or talk to Liam! But now… I had no one. My time was spent in solitude, showing exactly what my social life had become. Sure, I would probably get into a decent school now, but I was miserable in the process.

That being said, I couldn't for one second say that education was why I never left my house, I never left because I had no where to go. My friends' gone, and my bad reputation left me with nothing. I craved human attention, from anyone, but I had lost it. I could have salvaged it, returned with a bang, but I didn't. Instead, I silently fell into a quiet abyss.

The best part of my day was when Liam called. We texted as much as possible, but those were typed words, and they meant little to nothing at times. It was when he called me that I could feel the connection. We spend up to three hours on the phone sometimes, just talking about anything! I thought I knew a lot about him before… but I really knew nothing. He really let me into his life, and finally, I let him into mine. Even when we were oceans apart, when he called, I felt a little closer.

_Liam:_

I'd barely gotten any sleep in the last couple of weeks, we'd been moving so quickly! Tour rehearsals were about to begin, for our Tour in America, which probably meant even less sleep.

However, going to America meant seeing Mel, which meant it was all worth it. I knew she was miserable, I could tell from the way she sighed, or her tone sometimes. She hated being alone, and she couldn't mesh with her old friends anymore. I had made it my duty to call her at least once a day, no matter how busy I was, just to make her a little happier.

She hadn't outright said anything about being unhappy, she was far too proud for that, but it was obvious. Last time we skyped, I could see how defeated she looked, her mischievous glow was gone, leaving just a small, unhappy girl in its place.

I knew I had to do something, anything, to make her a little happy. Something to show her that she was not alone…

_Mel: _

It was a Friday night; I was in my room, casually listening to music when my mom called me downstairs.

"There's someone at the door for you!" she chirped.

"Tell them I'm busy!" I yelled, but curiosity got the better of me, "Fine, I'm coming!" I exclaimed as I ran downstairs.

"Liam? Wh-what are you doing _here_?" I choked out.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13:

Liam was standing at my doorstep, roses in hand and that beautiful smile on his face. I ran into his arms and hugged him as tightly as I could. His body pressed against mine, warm and familiar and the scent of his cologne intoxicated my nose, bringing back all the memories. He wrapped his arms around me, and kissed the top of my head.

"Would you like to go out with me tonight?" he mumbled into my hair.

I looked into his eyes, "Yes." I whispered.

My mom was shocked, knowing absolutely nothing about my boyfriend, but I didn't want to waste time explaining, so I left and promised to tell her everything later.

"You're parents don't know about me?" he asked as we walked, with a bit of sadness in his voice.

I smiled at him, "It has nothing to do with me not wanting them to know about you, it's just that… I've never dated any decent guys before, and I didn't want them to judge you. I'm sorry Liam."

He stopped mid stride, looked my in the eye, put his hands on my cheeks, and said, "There's no need to apologize, love. You haven't done a single thing wrong."

And then we kissed. At first slow and passionate, savoring every second but the kiss grew and soon we were both breathing heavily. Finally, I broke it off, needing a breath, and rested my head against his chest. We were in a nearby park, which eerily reminded me of the night before I left. But this was the exact opposite, it was sunny and warm, and there were no tears.

"I missed you." I stated.

Liam wrapped his arms around me, "I missed you more babe," he paused for a second, "How have things been."

"Fine." It was my instant response.

Liam knew me too well, "How has it really been?"

"Awful." I tried to keep my voice steady as I continued, "I'm so alone Liam. I hate it here. I've left my friends and I spend all my time by myself."

"I'm sorry, babe. I know how hard that must be for you."

"What happened to me Liam?" I asked sadly. I'd wanted to ask this question for months. What had changed so drastically? How had I gone from party-girl, to a friendless loser?

"You changed, and in my opinion, for the better."

"How? I have no one." My voice was bitter.

Liam squeezed my tightly, "You have me."

Liam and I walked hand in hand through the park, and stopped at a small ice cream parlor. I ordered my favourite ice cream, S'more, and Liam ordered chocolate.

"Your taste in ice cream is incredibly boring Mr. Payne." I informed him.

"Oh is it now?" he questioned, jokingly.

"Yes, yes it is. And how do you plan on eating ice cream without a spoon?"

Liam raised an eyebrow, walked over to the cashier and asked for something and sat back down. He looked at me, holding a fork, and then began to eat his ice cream… with the fork.

I started laughing, and once I had started, I couldn't stop, "Oh my god! Liam, you're so weird!"

"Me? You're eating S'more ice cream!"

"You're afraid of spoons!" I retorted.

We laughed the entire night, and when the time came to go home, I made Liam sleep. I introduced him to my mom and dad, who were happy this boyfriend didn't smell of weed and beer. We cuddled in my bed, whispering to each other. I was in complete bliss for the first time in months, until I got a text…

_There r pictures of you all over fb…_ It was from Lexi.

I quickly opened my laptop and checked my facebook, and sure enough, someone had taken the liberty to take picture of Liam and I kissing and post them on facebook. My perfect night was gone.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14:

I woke up, expecting to find Liam's warm body next to me, but instead I found an empty spot where he lay last night, cold as if he hadn't been there. Clumsily, I got out of bed, still in my boy-shorts and tank top and made my way downstairs.

My house was oddly quiet… usually the TV or radio would be on. At least my parents should have been talking.

"Liam?" No response, "Liam?" I called louder.

"Mom, where's Liam?" I practically yelled.

I searched around my entire house; the basement, my parents' room, the spare room, the attic and even the cellar, calling for Liam, but my no one was home. Where had they gone? That was when the phone rang.

"Hello?"

"Oh Mel, you're awake! Good! Liam just left h-"

"WHAT?" I shrieked, "WHAT DO YOU MEAN HE'S GONE? HE LEFT? MOM WHY?"

"Calm down, you're acting like a child! He didn't want to wake you this morning! His flight left half an hour ago. We told him you wouldn't mind! He really did want to say goodbye though… sweet boy Liam!"

My mom kept talking, but I was beyond listening, my body felt numb. He had just left! No goodbye, no note… nothing. He'd done exactly what I was afraid any other boy would do to me… but I had never even considered Liam. That was why I didn't fall for guys… because then they could hurt me. But I knew Liam! He would never! Would he?

"Mom?" I tried to keep my voice steady, "Did you encourage his leaving?" my voice was eerily calm.

"Well the boy was going to miss his flight!"

"I hate you." My voice was filled with malice. Never once in my life had I been so angry with her. She had let him leave, especially after yesterday! She saw how much happier I had been, and she told him he could just leave. Furious, I hung up the phone and threw it across the room.

I stormed back into my bedroom and grabbed my phone, praying Liam had at least called. I was wrong, he hadn't. I did however, have a message…

_Good morning babe, I'm srry I culdn't stay longer. My flight leaves soon. I'll talk to u later. I love you._

My eyes filled with tears and my body began to shake as I slumped to the ground and hugged my legs close to me. As soon as he had come, he had left. And I didn't even have a kiss good bye to remember him by.

My sobs rang out, but at this point I couldn't care less and the tears poured out. It had been a long time since I cried like this, everything had been bottled up; I finally felt some happiness last night, after months of monotony, but I never got to fully express my feelings, at least not enough…

Why me? Why? Why couldn't he have woken me up? Why couldn't I be there with him? Why couldn't I be the girl I used to be? That girl would be sitting in her room sobbing over a boy; she'd be out partying! Why me?

A dangerous decision crept into my mind, I'm not sure how, but it did and it was probably one of the stupidest things I ever tried.

I stood up, grabbed my suitcase and grabbed as many things off the hanger as I could and threw them in my suitcase. I ran down stairs, grabbed my passport and my parents' money and shoved them into my purse. I was packed within half and hour. Quickly, I scribbled a note for my parents. I didn't care anymore; I was done. I called the airport and booked the next flight for London. I was leaving, leaving this life of nothing and never returning…


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15:

I sat in the plane, heart thumping and palms sweaty. I can't lie and say I'd never done anything wrong… but this? Stealing money from my parents and leaving the country? I was so fucked.

The further the plane travelled, the more I began to regret what I'd done. What if Liam wasn't there? What if I ran out of money? What if my parents called the police? I picked up my phone and dialed my home number.

"Hello?" A panicked voice answered.

"Mom? It's me… Listen, I'm on a flight."

"Melissa, what are you talking about?" she sounded relived, if only a little confused.

"I'm on my way to London," my voice shook, "I-I'm going to stay there. I'll find a school and I'll focus I swear!"

Silence. Then finally…

"Melissa, I have _never_ been more disappointed in you. I thought you had changed."

"Mom, I'm sorry! Please, just listen!"

"No. Melissa, you're cut off. No money, nothing from us. You want to live alone, enjoy but don't you dare call asking for help." And with that, she hung up.

It took all my willpower not to breakdown and cry on the plane. I sat, fists clenched, eyes shut and my whole body tense; trying to suppress the emotion coursing through my veins.

My phone rang, and slowly, I exhaled and opened my eyes. I had another text from Liam:

_Please tell me your mom was joking._ Liam never used correct grammar; Fuck.

_No._ I replied. Two minutes felt like an eternity; I kept checking the time, only to see that it hadn't even been a minutes, hoping he would answer quicker. I didn't want to see his response, but he was bound to find out, and better over text than me showing up at his door.

Finally, he replied: _Why?_ I stared at the text for about five minutes trying to answer his question.

Why had I left? It wasn't because I was lonely, I could cope with having no social life just as easily now as two days ago. It wasn't because I wanted to defy my parents; frankly, I terrified that my mom was serious about cutting me off. So why had I left? Why had I stolen money and booked the quickest flight out of Vegas?

Because I was a fucking idiot, that's why. Who the hell else just packs up and leaves one day? Sure I was angry, but I had no right to do what I had done.

I was just over reacting… again. This new me did that a lot. Showing emotion was not done last year; last year, I just always had fun, regardless of how I really felt. But now? Oh that's right, I'd gone and let myself get attached. Hadn't I learned? Getting attached led to disasters, such as being disowned, as I had been.

I finally texted Liam back: _I'm sorry._

I hated apologizing, but what else could I say? I was not about to type out what had gone through my mind; that was far too dangerous, I was barely able to suppress my tears as it was. Not to mention my pride was an obvious problem, I wasn't about to openly admit I'd fucked up, no matter true it was! I was perfectly fine just sucking up to Liam, and hoping he wouldn't hate me for it afterwards.

I tried to sleep for the remainder of the flight; I kept telling myself everything would work out. Liam wouldn't be mad at me, my parents would re-own me again, I would find a school for the last couple weeks before summer vacation, I had enough money to support myself, I'd find a job… I'd be okay.

Unfortunately, the more I tried to concentrate on relaxing, the more nightmarish my thoughts became. By the end of the flight, I was even more of a mess; I hadn't slept, I was shaking from fear and I hadn't been able to eat anything on the flight, so I was starving. How else could my day get worse?

That's when it hit me: how was I going to get to Liam's flat? I barely knew my way around London, and here I was, in it's huge airport, unsure of where to go. I wanted to call Liam, and beg him to pick me up, but I couldn't sacrifice more of my pride. I looked through my phone for someone to call, when I noticed some girl waving her arms, running over and yelling… at me?

"YOU THE FUCK DO YOU THINK YOU ARE? MAKING OUT WITH LIAM? BACK THE FUCK OFF YOU HATEFUL BITCH!"

And that was the breaking point. I ran into the girl's washroom, crying, trying to figure out how the hell my life had turned out this way. I sunk to the ground, bawling my eyes out, thankful I was the only one in the bathroom. My day had officially gotten worse.

Where was I supposed to go from here? What was I supposed to do? That's when it hit me… Kelsey. I dialed her number as quickly as I could, given my fingers were shaking.

"Hello?" she answered.

"Hi, Kelsey?" I tried to make my voice cheerful, "It's Mel."


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16:

It took some convincing, Kelsey wasn't exactly pleased to see me, but I couldn't blame her. I had been awful to the poor girl, when all she wanted was to be my friend! She'd been the one to introduce me to One Direction, and I'd completely shut her out. The more I thought about it, the more I realized what a bitch I was. I hadn't even given her a chance; I'd just assumed she was the same as all other preppy annoying girls. And she was, but this preppy annoying girl was the one who was coming to pick me up from an airport, even though I had been nothing but rude to her. I owed her, big time.

So, while we sat in the taxi, I tried to make conversation, to show that I could be half decent, when I wasn't being a complete bitch. But it was evident that she had no interest in small talk, so I just came out and said it.

"I'm sorry." My pride was being battered down even more.

"You are? For what?" she sounded skeptical.

"Yes. Kelsey, you tried to take me in, you even took me to a concert… and how have I repaid you? I haven't. I was such a bitch to you! I ignored you, and treated you as if you were beneath me. I'm so sorry! I'm sorry I was such a hateful bitch about everything… can you forgive me?" My voice got weaker and weaker by the end. I couldn't even look at her, so I focused my eyes on my lap instead.

Kelsey looked at me, it almost seemed as if she knew exactly what I was talking about, as if she were reading my thoughts. It made me slightly uncomfortable; I felt exposed, but I refused to be anything but pleasant to her.

After a minute, she responded with, "I believe you."

I looked up at her shocked; she was too nice for her own good! "Believe it or not, I've changed." I mumbled.

"Oh, I knew that before you even apologized." She smiled.

"How?" I said bewildered. Could she really read me _that_ well?

"Well, when you were first shipped off to England, you had a… hardness to you. You walked as if you owned the place, before you even knew anyone. You dressed your own way, talked your own way… but you seemed hollow. Now, you're hair is no longer done to impress, you're wearing a baggy t-shirt and jeans, and there's a more subtle kindness in your eyes. I don't know what happened to you, but I'm glad it did. You seem like a better person now." She smiled when she saw the look on my face.

Her words rang clear in my mind; this girl had basically displayed my entire year in front of the both of us, leaving me feeling more exposed than ever before. I wasn't sure how to respond. She was right, I no longer spent time on my appearance, or partied, or had the same ego as I used to. It frightened me, I didn't know _who_ I was anymore, I had always been so confident in myself, always known how to fit in and be popular and now… I was friendless loser who'd run away to see her boyfriend. My confidence was shattered, and with it went me.

Kelsey thought it was weird that I had asked to be dropped off at the pet store, but I promised I would explain later. I hugged her and thanked her for everything.

I still had nowhere to stay, but at least I knew where I was. In fact, I could probably walk to the boys' flats from here… although it would take awhile. I got my phone out of my purse, checking for the time, when I noticed eight missed calls… from Liam.

My phone rang again…

"Liam?" I answered.

"I've been calling you for twenty minutes! Melissa, where are you?" He tried to keep his voice calm, but he was pissed.

"I'm at the pet store." I tried to make my voice strong.

"What? How did you get there? Do you know how worried I've been?" I could practically see the waves of emotions bouncing off him.

"I'm sorry." My voice no longer had emotion in it; it was just dead.

Liam sighed, "I'll be there as soon as I can. I'm just about to leave my flat." The control in his voice was audibly forced.

_Liam:_

I didn't know what to think anymore. Mel was great; she was the kind of girl I needed; someone who could let loose and have fun; get to me act my age, as opposed to like an adult. All the boys had agreed that her influence, as negative as it was, was much needed. But this? Running away? Taking her parents' money? What was she thinking? Where did she come up with something that crazy?

Was there something going on that she hadn't told me about? I knew Mel, she wouldn't just leave because she was lonely, something had pushed her over the edge, and now she'd gone and gotten herself disowned. I wasn't sure if living in my flat was the best idea for her, but I didn't know where else she would go. She didn't know anyone, and hotels were expensive.

Was I mad? Yes, a little. But mostly I was disappointed. I wanted things to be how they were when we first met; when we could just sit and laugh about the stupidest things. Everything had become so over dramatic and, I personally, had never been one for drama. I hated having to think of this… but if the drama didn't end, I didn't think Mel and I would last. Mel could be high maintenance, but the issue wasn't that, it was that she brought upon her own problems. Lying, leaving home… it was her own fault, but her pride always got in her way. How was I supposed to cope with her constant drama? I liked her a lot, but she was so unpredictable, I couldn't always be there to comfort her when she did something really stupid…

I pulled into the parking lot, looking for Mel. Usually she pops out of a crowd, with her unique style and the way she carries herself. Even a few days ago when I went to visit, she still had that spark; it had been subtler, but certainly still there. When I finally laid eyes on the small shriveled and defeated girl in front of me, my hypothesis was confirmed; something was wrong. Was it because I'd left? What had happened to make her lose that gleam in her eyes?

I parked the car and silently took her bags from her and put them in the trunk. I sat down in the driver's seat, again in silence and began to drive. I couldn't handle the silence anymore.

"You screwed up." I tried to keep my voice gentle, but she needed to know the truth.

"I know." Her voice was bitter, "When don't I fuck up?"

"Why'd you leave?"

"I don't know." There was a hateful tone in her voice, but I wasn't sure if it was aimed at herself or I.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"No." And that effectively ended our conversation for the rest of the ride home.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17:

Liam had a lot of work to do; so until I figured out what the hell to do with myself, I wallowed around his flat, sad and lonely. Liam tried to make conversation every night, none of which lasted for more than a couple minutes. I could see our relationship was struggling, and I knew it was completely my fault, but I couldn't stop it. I felt helpless and depressed and I couldn't do anything to stop it.

I could see he was becoming desperate, on the third night he came home with flowers and chocolate and we watched a movie. Unfortunately, it was nothing like our past movie dates. We watched the movie in silence, not even touching each other. During the middle of the movie, he pulled me in close, and then awkwardly released me when I cringed away. I could see the hurt in his eyes, but I couldn't offer him any kind words of comfort.

I wasn't certain why I'd decided to shut out Liam all of a sudden; after all, he was one of my main motives for coming to London. Part of me was afraid of crying, but there was more than that. Being disowned hurt, and knowing that I no longer had a home had taken its toll on me. My sub conscience kept murmuring thoughts in my head, thoughts I tried to shut out as much as possible. I was becoming depressed and pathetically so, but for the first time, my heart and mind told me the same thing: stay silent until you figure out what to do.

The night after our movie 'date' I got a text from Kelsey. _You still haven't told me about the pet store…_ Bless her soul. Even after everything, she was willing to talk to me. I'm not sure what crazy force made me do this, but I texted her back right away.

_Meet me there and I'll tell you?_

_Sure! :) _

I showered and got dressed as quick as I could. It had been so long since I'd sat down with another girl and talked, and my inner teenager was taking charge. I hadn't had a conversation with anyone in so long, and I thirsted for some girl time. For the first time in months I wore make up, although it was rather pathetically applied and I bothered to actually braid my long, black hair. I grabbed my purse and scribbled a note for Liam, before leaving the flat.

I took a taxi to the pet store and patiently waited to Kelsey to show up. When she came, I could feel the first genuine smile I had smiled in a long time creep on my face. I could already tell this girl was going to grow on me.

_Kelsey_

The girl was a mess; that much was obvious, I wasn't sure why, but she was. She had attempter hair and make up, but her eyes still looked dead. I remembered her at the beginning of the year; rough style and edgy walk… everything about her radiated power and control. She knew who she was, and now she looked as if she had lost herself.

"Hi hunny." I approached her smiling, hoping to diffuse any tension.

"Hi." She tried to sound cheerful, but I could easily see through it.

"Do you want to talk?" I sat down beside her and put my arm around her shoulder.

"Can we go somewhere else first?" she sounded timid, as if she was uncomfortable in her own skin.

"Of course."

We walked in silence to a nearby park, and sat under a giant oak tree, to hide from the sun. She sighed, looking at her lap and began her story.

"I hate myself." She whispered.

"Why sweetie?"

"I'm fucking pathetic." Her voice was quiet, my bitter and resentful.

"No you aren't! Just tell me what happened."

She looked at me, probably trying to decide whether or not she trusted me, then told me everything about the last year. She told me about her partying, her popularity, why she really came to England, her parents and about a boy who she'd met in London, a boy who had brought out the best in her. She explained why she lied to him and why she was expelled.

By this point, tears were running down her cheeks, but she seemed oblivious to the fact and continued.

Her life back in America was the painful part of her story, her eyes told me so. She was alone, friendless and trapped. Her boy had come and left, and she had followed him. She didn't know why, but she had.

"And that's why I'm fucking pathetic." She concluded, teary eyed and sad.

"I know why you came." I told her.

"Do you now?" she challenged.

I smiled, "Yes. You came because you wanted someone to love you."

"It's not that simple."

"No there is more…" I paused, trying to find a way to phrase it, "You didn't want to fall back did you?" I whispered gently.

"What?" her voice quivered.

"You didn't want to be the party girl again. You wanted to go out and get drunk when you found out he was gone, didn't you? To make the pain go away?"

I saw realization in her eyes, but then she clouded it with a neutral mask, "I don't want to talk about this."

There was more, maybe it had just hit her, but there was certainly more to why she was hurting. I didn't want to pry, but sometimes those are one's only choices…

"You love him and you were afraid of changing back… but there is more. What is it?"

"Someone took pictures, and posted them online. I didn't make a fuss about it but… the only thing I could think of, was that getting stoned was the only way to make it better. I didn't want anyone to know. But my initial thought terrified me. I used to crave alcohol and weed; I thought I was over that. I had always been good at controlling my urges. He left and, I had so much access back home and…" her voice trailed off.

"You were afraid you'd get addicted?" she nodded solemnly.

We were both silent for a minute, then finally I asked her, "Would you tell me who your boyfriend is?"

She pursed her lips, and looked at me, "I may as well," she began, "You won't believe me… but, Liam. Liam… Payne."

I looked at her, trying to decide if I believed this girl or not. She had lied before, what if she was also lying about this? She obviously knew what I was thinking because she looked at me, sighed, and then pulled out her phone.

"Proof." She stated, as she pushed her phone in my face. It was a picture of her kissing a boy… and not just a boy… that boy was definitely Liam Payne.

_Liam:_

I came home, expecting to find Mel where she usually was, on the couch watching TV. However, for the first time, I was wrong.

"Mel?" I called, before I noticed a note on my kitchen counter.

_I'm going out with a friend! I'll be home tonight!_

_Xoxo_

I smiled to myself; Mel was finally going somewhere, having a bit of fun! Maybe tonight she'd be happier? I had missed her beautiful smile and maybe, just maybe, hanging out with a friend was what she needed to feel happy again.

Of course, this begged the question: whom had she met in London? She hadn't gone anywhere, and to my knowledge, she didn't have any friends from her that private school… so who was she with? I was about to call her, when the doorknob turned, and in came Mel.

I hadn't seen her smile in ages, and even now, her smile didn't reach her eyes, but it was a smile nonetheless. She looked much better, she had even bothered to do her hair and make up! She looked at me, walked over; wrapping her arms around my neck and pressed her lips into mine.

No words could express my joy in that moment! I had missed her so much, and even such a simple gesture showed that she was beginning to feel better. I pulled back first, and cupped her face in my hands.

"I've missed you." I told her.

Sadness grew in her eyes; she buried her head into my chest and murmured, "I've missed you too."

That's when I knew we'd be okay.


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18:

Liam and I spent the entire night watching the Lion King… it was his idea… personally, I had always been into sad movies, but tonight I just wanted to smile and laugh with my boyfriend. Unlike last time, there was quite a lot of cuddling, laughing and kissing. It felt so good to have him close, I had missed his warm lips and soft hands. Kissing Liam Payne was like tasting heaven; I never wanted to stop!

I finally broke our kiss to catch my breath and lay my head on his lap. Liam was such a good guy, I knew he deserved better, but for some reason, he had chosen me. I wasn't sure what had pulled Liam Payne in my direction, but I was glad it had! I still had many problems to fix, but having Liam hold me made me feel so much happier. I felt like I could figure all this out, when he was by me.

"Liam?"

"Yes babe?"

"Why are you so perfect?" I casually asked.

I could feel his laughter as he replied, " I'm far from perfect."

"Lies!" I giggled.

He was silent for a minute, before he replied, "You seem quite a bit happier."

I sighed, I'd been avoiding this conversation all night, but it had to happen, "I guess so."

"Is there a particular reason you're all smiles now?" he asked as he played with my hair.

I sat up and hugged my legs to myself, "Sometimes, you need someone else to push you in the right path. Once the path is clear, everything becomes better."

"So you know what you're going to do?" he pulled me close and this time I let him.

"I'm going to call my dad tomorrow and talk to him about it… he's always been the nicer parent."

I did exactly what I promised I would do, and called home the next day.

"Hello?"

"Hi… dad? It's me." My heart was beating rapidly, and my palms were sweaty. I fought for control as I spoke.

"Mel?" he whispered.

"Hi daddy." I squeaked.

"Are you coming home?" his voice was optimistic, maybe too optimistic…

"I'm not allowed; mom disowned me, remember?"

"Sweetheart, she was just mad, come back home!" his voice was pleading.

"I can't! Dad, I'll finish school here, please let me stay! I don't belong there! I have no one," My voice broke on 'no one', but I took a deep and shaky breath and continued, "Enroll me somewhere, anywhere! I'm technically done grade 11! I can do it daddy, I promise!"

"But it's the summer now… what are you going to do in London?"

Thanks to my brilliant boyfriend, I had this figured out, "My credits aren't London approved, and I want to re-take some courses. Liam says I can stay with him! Please dad?"

"Liam? You want me to let you stay with a boy for two months?" his voice to a sharper edge.

"Dad, I swear _that_ hasn't even come up! I've changed daddy! Please?"

He sighed; I could practically see the exasperation in his eyes.

"I don't see how we're going to change your mind… I'll find you a school for the fall. But until then, behave yourself?"

"I promise."


	19. Epilpogue

Epilogue: 10 years later…

When I look back to being a teenager, I can't say I regret any of my choices. Not the partying, or running away to England. _That_ particular decision was the best one I ever made. Liam didn't let me move out of his flat, so when the fall rolled back around, I just went to a nearby public school. I had to get a job obviously, and at least attempt to pay for some things, so I worked as a cashier in a nearby grocery store. Liam, however, refused to let me spend a cent, so I ended up saving all my money. Looking back, he was right, after high school, I went to Manchester University, on a partial scholarship, and studied to become a councilor. No one really understood why, I had never been one to help people I didn't know, but I just wanted to prevent the brick wall between parents and children.

I had lived with that wall for so long, and knowing that it could be prevented motivated me. It's funny; my personal brick wall only disappeared after I moved to London. I started talking with both my parents more often, and oddly enough, we got along better than we ever had before. Maybe the distance had a role in it, but I think it was just because of Liam's positive influence. Regardless, that wall slowly disappeared, and I wanted to help teenagers do the same with their own parents.

I graduated four years later and got a job at a high school. It didn't last long though, because the boys were still gaining popularity and wanted to be closer to recording studios, so we moved to LA. I had no choice but to agree and so, I had to quit my job. Before I could even begin job hunting, Liam told me not to bother, and he was partially right, we were going to be travelling a lot, but I couldn't waste all that education and oddly enough, a part of me really wanted to help. So I did the only thing that would let me be close to Liam, and work: I opened a website.

It was just a small little self- help site, but it grew and soon, I opened a building entitled, "Teen's Help". I guess it was kind of like Kids Help Phone, but in person. I assume it's because I was Liam's girlfriend that it became so popular, but soon, I had a chain "Teen's Help". I sold off the company, grossing 3.5 million dollars last year because life was getting very hectic, and I found that I had less and less time to work.

Time travels so quickly, I would never have imagined 16 year old bratty me walking down the aisle in a white dress, to marry a boy like Liam Payne. Everyone's tears were spilling before the vows were even read, but it was when Liam said, "I do," that even my eyes began to water.

And then the kiss: The most amazing, soft kiss I've ever had. I had kissed Liam plenty of times, but this was different. As cliché as it sounds, this kiss send electricity though my veins, my whole body came alive. His warmth and scent surrounded me, and I swear, I felt a little bit dizzy.

As he pulled back, he whispered, "I love you, Mrs. Payne"

My life was perfect; and I knew that I'd be with Liam until death did us part.

END.


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